Perils of Outsourcing
The article is short and lucid....just read it!
The effect on U.S. living standards is the same as what would happen if a cost-reducing technology in software production occurred. Living standards rise either way.
If you are a small company in a big pond like IBM...forget about consistent timely responsiveness that you can bank on. You would soon realize that dealing with different parts of IBM is like dealing with different vendors...sometimes even worse.
If it is mission critical you would be much better off in building an in-house ace support team and use the vendors support as a resource...because your mission critical is NOT their mission critical. Having a strong team would also give you the flexibility of choosing the best of breed products rather than getting tied to particular vendors. It's obvious to realize that IBM is happiest when you buy IBM equipment (even if they claim otherwise).
Above all use common sense in deciding strategy and taking decisions rather than getting swayed by the marketing hype and panacea of off loading problems from your shoulders.
(i am not too familiar with VNC and definitely no experience with Citrix...await comments from pros, especially on how VNC compares with Citrix)
Assuming (as stated above) that the market for these devices is Fortune 1000, maybe Wyse/anybody can use VNC-Linux to solve this driver issue.
VNC already maps the local serial port, PS2 and keyboard to the VNC server. this is how it forwards the mouse/keyboard input to the VNC server (which can be Linux,Win9x,NT....)
VNC is open source, so Wyse could have hacked it to forward (+return path) the local thin client serial/parallel/whatever ports to an NT/Win machine running VNC server. the drivers for these devices (bar-code readers, scanners, printers etc) would be available on NT/Win.....that's it.
btw, the VNC team is already quite advanced on this. Read about CORBA/Out going connections here.
having something like this available would open a lot of other interesting possibilities. an example of embrace and extend:)
VNC is the jewel hidden in this story
on
Update On WorkSpot
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· Score: 4
This story got me to VNC and it has made a big difference to my working. Cannot recommend it enough.
Workspot is good for people to tryout/use Linux...but for people who already have Linux...VNC is THE thing to run.
I run VNC on my home DSL connected Linux PC. To take care of dynamic IP addresses on my DSL connection i use the superb DNS service from DHS, these guys are great!
Now, where ever i am, using VNC-SSH-DHS combo i can easily and securely reach my home Linux desktop with it's GB's of space and all the sw/code/tools that i have installed.
btw, a great SSH client for Windows without any crypto restrictions is TTSSH.
after a decade of this everyone would wonder why the average SAT/GRE scores of US students are lower wrt to students from less affluent regions (no lap tops).
i feel that the prior art/post office solutions are not being used because of a lack of branding (crisp 'Patent' Vs fuzzy 'prior art') and also lack of institutional/operational support.
Given some thought these issues can be addressed by USPTO and ease the considerable shortcomings of the present patent system. Lets discuss what/how this new tool (henceforth called Natent) and reformed patents should address the Intellectual Property concerns of all.
My thoughts:
Natents: - a fast cheap internet based service offered by USPTO. Anybody from anywhere in the world can using the Natent website to record (a sort of prior art db) a public and detailed private version of the idea/process/innovation they made. USPTO would do no investigation and just charge a nominal fees for maintaining the accessibility and integrity of this database. While registering a Natent a person could also indicate if the natent is Open...ie anybody can use it (infringe) without threat of challenge from the Natentee provide the innovation is not used in a Patent (sort of GPL??) or non-Open stuff.
(Reformed) Patents: - a slow expensive tool which would provide the protection of the present patents. The reform would be that these patents would be issued only after EXTENSIVE investigation by USPTO...paid for by the patentee. Investigations would include study of relevant Natents as well. All Patent investigations would have to first start as Natents.
Benefits:
- To Individuals/Small Corporations: They would mostly go for Natents. with a Natent they would be assured that they can possibly fend of others from using their innovations. for stopping others they would have to convert their Natent to a Patent or file a suit. since expenses would be involved in either of these actions...they would have to choose their fights. Just a threat of Natents (with potential liabilities) should deter others (especially Big Money) from infringing Natents. ofcourse if the Natent is not worthy to be a patent...anybody could 'infringe' the same and prove it's unworthiness when the Natentee challenges.
- Big Money: since they would need protection from other Big Monies....would prefer to go for Patents.
How does this address the present shortcomings:
- Frivolous Patents: since a Patent would be issued only after a through investigation...such cases should not arise. if they do then the PTO should also be liable as they do not have an excuse of lack of resources for this...everything is paid for. Also an organized systems of Natents would ensure that nearly all innovations (+frivolous stuff) are Natented...and proving prior art stuff would be easier.
- Expensive Patent process for Small pockets: now they have an option to go for Natents. if Jeff Bezos wanted patents solely for defensive reasons (so that others cannot use them)...Natents should do.
- Investors: if they want to invest in a company for Patents...they are better assured as now these would be 'real' enforceable patents....and USPTO is also liable for the same.
Well i just did that. Amazon has a nice;-) feature to cancel unshipped orders. i used that and reordered at bn.com.
btw, bn.com does not have this feature (atleast not so obvious on the website) of cancelling unshipped orders. though this is the first time i used bn.com, i found the Amazon site to be much faster and easier to use.
Amazon (if you are reading)...you don't need stupid patents to win, your execution seems to be good enough for that....but if you persist with your 'patents'........well i just moved my $$$s.
if Linus had somehow even created the perception of not being 100% neutral to the corporate Linux industry, we all would have been big losers. i think we should all be v thankful to Linus for not succumbing to these 'corporate' pulls as the founders of slashdot apparently did when they first sold it to Andover. Just imagine if you were Linus, getting to those billions would seem tooooooo tempting. the only other person of such integrity i can think of is Gandhi.
however founders of slashdot may justify it, the fact is that (anykind of) leadership of the open source movement (or any movement) demands 100% purity/integrity which slashdot now does not have. it's easy to sell out for the present and then justify it for the rest of your lives.
Slashdot Mirror
Perils of Outsourcing The article is short and lucid....just read it! The effect on U.S. living standards is the same as what would happen if a cost-reducing technology in software production occurred. Living standards rise either way.
My experience with the Bayesian filtering based Spambayes is extremely good. It is very transparent so that you can see how it is classifying.
Unless you use Outlook, you would need to use the pop3proxy.py application.
Read to understand how it works. Too dense for me - but it does work!
I have tried: http://www.ensim.com/products/sxc.shtml this product makes provisioning and management a breeze! def take a look.
(from my experience)
If you are a small company in a big pond like IBM...forget about consistent timely responsiveness that you can bank on. You would soon realize that dealing with different parts of IBM is like dealing with different vendors...sometimes even worse.
If it is mission critical you would be much better off in building an in-house ace support team and use the vendors support as a resource...because your mission critical is NOT their mission critical. Having a strong team would also give you the flexibility of choosing the best of breed products rather than getting tied to particular vendors. It's obvious to realize that IBM is happiest when you buy IBM equipment (even if they claim otherwise).
Above all use common sense in deciding strategy and taking decisions rather than getting swayed by the marketing hype and panacea of off loading problems from your shoulders.
(i am not too familiar with VNC and definitely no experience with Citrix...await comments from pros, especially on how VNC compares with Citrix)
....that's it.
:)
Assuming (as stated above) that the market for these devices is Fortune 1000, maybe Wyse/anybody can use VNC-Linux to solve this driver issue.
VNC already maps the local serial port, PS2 and keyboard to the VNC server. this is how it forwards the mouse/keyboard input to the VNC server (which can be Linux,Win9x,NT....)
VNC is open source, so Wyse could have hacked it to forward (+return path) the local thin client serial/parallel/whatever ports to an NT/Win machine running VNC server. the drivers for these devices (bar-code readers, scanners, printers etc) would be available on NT/Win.
btw, the VNC team is already quite advanced on this. Read about CORBA/Out going connections here.
having something like this available would open a lot of other interesting possibilities. an example of embrace and extend
This story got me to VNC and it has made a big difference to my working. Cannot recommend it enough.
...but for people who already have Linux ...VNC is THE thing to run.
:)
Workspot is good for people to tryout/use Linux
I run VNC on my home DSL connected Linux PC. To take care of dynamic IP addresses on my DSL connection i use the superb DNS service from DHS, these guys are great!
Now, where ever i am, using VNC-SSH-DHS combo i can easily and securely reach my home Linux desktop with it's GB's of space and all the sw/code/tools that i have installed.
btw, a great SSH client for Windows without any crypto restrictions is TTSSH.
i have reached Nirvana (atleast for some time
after a decade of this everyone would wonder why the average SAT/GRE scores of US students are lower wrt to students from less affluent regions (no lap tops).
i feel that the prior art/post office solutions are not being used because of a lack of branding (crisp 'Patent' Vs fuzzy 'prior art') and also lack of institutional/operational support.
...paid for by the patentee. Investigations would include study of relevant Natents as well. All Patent investigations would have to first start as Natents.
...such cases should not arise. if they do then the PTO should also be liable as they do not have an excuse of lack of resources for this...everything is paid for. Also an organized systems of Natents would ensure that nearly all innovations (+frivolous stuff) are Natented...and proving prior art stuff would be easier.
Given some thought these issues can be addressed by USPTO and ease the considerable shortcomings of the present patent system. Lets discuss what/how this new tool (henceforth called Natent) and reformed patents should address the Intellectual Property concerns of all.
My thoughts:
Natents:
- a fast cheap internet based service offered by USPTO. Anybody from anywhere in the world can using the Natent website to record (a sort of prior art db) a public and detailed private version of the idea/process/innovation they made. USPTO would do no investigation and just charge a nominal fees for maintaining the accessibility and integrity of this database. While registering a Natent a person could also indicate if the natent is Open...ie anybody can use it (infringe) without threat of challenge from the Natentee provide the innovation is not used in a Patent (sort of GPL??) or non-Open stuff.
(Reformed) Patents:
- a slow expensive tool which would provide the protection of the present patents. The reform would be that these patents would be issued only after EXTENSIVE investigation by USPTO
Benefits:
- To Individuals/Small Corporations:
They would mostly go for Natents. with a Natent they would be assured that they can possibly fend of others from using their innovations. for stopping others they would have to convert their Natent to a Patent or file a suit. since expenses would be involved in either of these actions...they would have to choose their fights. Just a threat of Natents (with potential liabilities) should deter others (especially Big Money) from infringing Natents. ofcourse if the Natent is not worthy to be a patent...anybody could 'infringe' the same and prove it's unworthiness when the Natentee challenges.
- Big Money:
since they would need protection from other Big Monies....would prefer to go for Patents.
How does this address the present shortcomings:
- Frivolous Patents: since a Patent would be issued only after a through investigation
- Expensive Patent process for Small pockets: now they have an option to go for Natents. if Jeff Bezos wanted patents solely for defensive reasons (so that others cannot use them)...Natents should do.
- Investors: if they want to invest in a company for Patents...they are better assured as now these would be 'real' enforceable patents....and USPTO is also liable for the same.
my 0.02 Natents
nikhil
Well i just did that. Amazon has a nice;-) feature to cancel unshipped orders. i used that and reordered at bn.com.
btw, bn.com does not have this feature (atleast not so obvious on the website) of cancelling unshipped orders. though this is the first time i used bn.com, i found the Amazon site to be much faster and easier to use.
Amazon (if you are reading)...you don't need stupid patents to win, your execution seems to be good enough for that....but if you persist with your 'patents'........well i just moved my $$$s.
if Linus had somehow even created the perception of not being 100% neutral to the corporate Linux industry, we all would have been big losers.
i think we should all be v thankful to Linus for not succumbing to these 'corporate' pulls as the founders of slashdot apparently did when they first sold it to Andover. Just imagine if you were Linus, getting to those billions would seem tooooooo tempting. the only other person of such integrity i can think of is Gandhi.
however founders of slashdot may justify it, the fact is that (anykind of) leadership of the open source movement (or any movement) demands 100% purity/integrity which slashdot now does not have. it's easy to sell out for the present and then justify it for the rest of your lives.